By Sarah Mattew
The Enugu State Government has recorded major gains in its malaria control efforts, cutting the state’s prevalence rate from about 24 per cent to 9.9 per cent.
Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, disclosed this in Enugu during activities marking World Malaria Day, reiterating the administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and eliminating malaria.
According to him, malaria testing and treatment are now provided free of charge in all 560 public health facilities across the state’s 17 local government areas.
“We have made malaria testing and treatment completely free in all our health facilities as part of a comprehensive strategy to eliminate the disease,” Ugwu said.
He noted that the 2026 World Malaria Day theme, “Driven to End Malaria: We Can, We Must End Malaria,” reflects the state’s renewed push to curb the disease.
Ugwu also acknowledged the contributions of development partners, particularly the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS), for supporting malaria interventions and expanding access to care.
Chief Executive Officer of ECEWS in Nigeria, Dr. Andy Eyo, said the organisation has scaled up malaria services across the state, ensuring residents can access testing and treatment at no cost.
“Services are now available in all health facilities across Enugu State, and residents can get tested and treated for malaria free of charge,” he said.
Eyo explained that the initiative is being implemented in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme and funded by the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), in partnership with the state government.
He added that ECEWS has also enrolled over 1,000 pregnant women in a health insurance scheme to improve maternal health outcomes.
“Our organisation is covering the insurance premiums for these women, enabling them to access antenatal care, safe delivery services, and malaria prevention and treatment at no cost,” Eyo stated.
The intervention is expected to further reduce malaria-related complications among pregnant women and contribute to improved public health outcomes in the state.
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